‘Freedom Library’ opens in Tampa; includes state-banned books [Video]

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — National and Tampa Bay area education leaders joined the NAACP Hillsborough for the grand opening of the Freedom Library on Tuesday evening.

The library is located inside of Beulah Baptist Institutional Church in Tampa. The space has around 500 books, including some that are currently banned by the state. 

“We fight for people’s civil rights and we feel like our kid’s civil rights have been taken from them,” Yvette Lewis with NAACP Hillsborough said.

Fredrick Ingram with the American Federation of Teachers said their organization has been giving away books all over the country. 

“We don’t control what students think, we give them an opportunity to learn on their own,” Ingram said.

The library will be available to anyone from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday.